Dream of: 04 July 2001 "Got That Swing"
I had been asked to play the saxophone in a band which was going to be giving a performance this very day. I had agreed to play even though I was unsure I would be able to master the songs in time. Now I was desperately trying to prepare my instrument. I needed to attach some small silver rings (each about a half centimeter in diameter) onto my saxophone. With a pincher-like tool, I busily extracted the rings from a container and I attached the rings to the instrument. I was in a big hurry because I still needed to practice the tunes which the band would be playing tonight. I wasn't even sure yet what I would be wearing. Should I put on a pin-stripped suit with a white shirt? Or would that be too formal? I was unsure.
Another member in the band was sitting not far from me. He was young (only about 20 years old) and had black hair. He was going through some motions as if he were playing the drums (obviously he was the drummer). I became somewhat entranced by his motions and I tried to pick up his beat, imagining my playing the saxophone along with him. I felt so unprepared; the whole performance might turn out to be a disaster.
One song we would be playing today began going through my head. I began remembering the words and the tune, singing in my mind, "Oh you ain't got a thing if you ain't got that swing."
I wondered what it would be like if instead of a band with different instruments, everyone played the saxophone, and everyone only played one note. I went over the refrain, "Oh you ain't got a thing …" imagining each saxophone player playing just one note, each player playing after the other. It would be interesting; but it would be difficult to keep the tempo. A conductor would probably be necessary.
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